countervail

coun·ter·vail

verb \ˌkau̇n-tər-ˈvāl\

Definition of COUNTERVAIL

transitive verb

1

: to compensate for

2

archaic : equal, match

3

: to exert force against : counteract

intransitive verb

: to exert force against an opposing and often bad or harmful force or influence

Origin of COUNTERVAIL

Middle English countrevailen, from Anglo-French cuntrevaloir, from cuntre- counter- + valoir to be worth, from Latin valēre — more at wield

First Known Use: 14th century

Rhymes with COUNTERVAIL

abigail, altar rail, armored scale, audit trail, aventail, beavertail, bristletail, button quail, clapper rail, coffin nail, Corriedale, cottontail, Coverdale, direct mail, disentail, draggle-tail, fairy tale, farthingale, fingernail, forestaysail, gaff-topsail, galingale, garage sale, ginger ale, Holy Grail, humpback whale, Irish mail, killer whale, macroscale, martingale, microscale, monorail, montadale, nanoscale, nightingale, Nightingale, old wives' tale, overscale, paper trail, pilot whale, ponytail, purple scale, romeldale, rummage sale, sliding scale, solar sail, studding sail, Sunnyvale, swallowtail, tattletale, tooth and nail, tripletail, trundle-tail, vapor trail, yellowtail